Revisiting the Vermont Quilt Festival...Part 1

For those of you who know me personally, and perhaps for those just getting to know me better, my starting with the special exhibit of Antique Vermont Quilts isn't a surprise.
Quilting Buddy (from now on known as QB in my postings) and I took full advantage this year of all the Festival has to offer. Our first new (for us) activity was to attend the Gallery Talk sponsored by the Vermont Historical Society whose quilt collection was showcased in Patterns of History: Quilts from the Vermont Historical Society Collection. Only half of their holdings were featured, and these quilts were amazing! They ranged from whole cloth quilts from the early 1800's to a more modern day example- a commemorative quilt made in 1991- not quite an antique yet! The Gallery Talk was led by the current curator, Jacqueline Calder. Come join me in a walk through.



This wool, linen and cotton quilt in a Log Cabin Variation pattern was made by Ella Hay Harris of Ludlow, Vt. in the late 1800's. It was donated to the historical society in 1954 by Ina Harding Harris.



Donated to the historical society in 1974 by Joanna Reed Parks, the maker's granddaughter, this cotton quilt in the Indian Hatchet pattern was made by "Grandmother" Webster of Marshfield, VT in about 1800.



This cotton quilt is a Cherry Basket pattern and was made by Lucy Hale prior to her marriage in 1852. It was donated by Ina Harris Harding and Maude Harding Schults in 1954.



This North Carolina Lily cotton quilt was made by Martha M. Rosebrook of Morgan, VT in about 1850. It was donated to the society in 2000 by Richard Whitehall. If you look behind the Lily, you will see a White and Red cotton Feathered Star similar to a California Star pattern. It was made by Hattie Phillips of Sough Duxbury, VT. in about 1870. This quilt was donated by Mrs. Charles Willard in 1964.



This cotton Shoofly Quilt was created by the members of the Baptist Church of East Hardwick, VT. for their pastor, the Rev. Albert Vinton. Reverend Vinton served at the church from 1878 to 1881. It was donated by Emily Clark in 1967.



This stunning quilt is all wool! Teenaged sisters, Sarah and Anne Holt of Berlin, VT. made the quilt in 1838 making the vibrancy of the colors today mind-boggling! The stitching throughout the quilt is a swirling pattern that gives great movement to the piece and showcases the talents of the sisters. The sisters stitched both their names and the date on the quilt, making it possible to document its origins. It was purchased by the society in 2010.

Below is another quilt that boggled my mind! A Crazy Quilt Variation, made by Philea A. Spear of Waitsfield, VT. in 1909 at the age of 84.



Philea recorded that the quilt took 12,976 pieces of material. Take a closer look:



Incredible!!

To be continued.....

*** Note to my readers. I have tried to be extremely careful with the documentation of these photos. Should anyone notice that there is some misinformation please let me know as soon as possible so I can rectify my postings.

It's July Already?

How did it become July so soon? I find it hard to believe, but from the looks of the flower gardens (aren't my hydrangeas beautiful!) and the veggies/herbs I guess it really is the height of the summer season. I feel like Rip Van Winkle! Lay down to take a rest and wake up some time in the future. Thankfully hundreds of years have not passed me by, even if it feels that way.
So what have I been up to? Not much more than watching the weather turn rainy the minute the house painters set to work. Traveling to the Vermont Quilt Festival and bringing home a nasty "it rained (buckets) every day" cold. Painting the room I am currently writing this post from- and waiting for the new hardwood floor to be installed so I can get things back to normal (what ever that is!). A wee-bit of sewing (I love that.."wee"- youngest child has taken on a bit of the Scottish lingo and I smile each time she uses that term!). I actually make four 3" T blocks last evening and assembled them into their 6" counterpart. I really do want to get back to my Folk Art Gathering quilt. I have also (finally) downloaded all the photos from Vermont and am slowly working on the documentation so I can share! Everything seems to take me forever these days. Photos are coming...Festival quilts, what I'm working on photos, maybe even some "look what I bought" photos? Now that would be fun....
But I need to head out into reality. Time to go to work...
Til we meet again....

And the work continues!

It was a fairly quiet weekend here- no ladders, no men on the roof! Saturday, I dodged the rain and drove down to one of my favorite quilt shops and had a bit of me time. I managed to pick up some overdue blocks and a bit of fabric (one to complete an on-going project). I also picked up Jo Morton's new book Banner Day! This one is fabulous- well all her books are, but this one is really fabulous! I'd post a photo, but for some reason blogger isn't cooperating. Oh well. Yesterday was a very quiet day here at Casa M. I decided it was time to attack the two spots on the living room rug that were bothering me. Success for the most part- think I'll respray today and they should be 100% gone. Then, since the ceiling taping and mud went up on Friday, I thought it was high time to bring the breakfast room out of the 80's. First job- get rid of the cutsey bird house wallpaper border and the not so professionally done chair rail. Didn't take any time at all, and the room already looks better. I am going to dispose of the very 80's vertical blinds and finally make those drapes I intended to do. Happily I never got to it before- as I would have done something more fu-fu and would be disposing of that now too {smiles}. I am just going to make simple panels for each of the big windows - and hang 'em high! I think the room will look tall and elegant and I'll be able to see the gardens with out peeking thru verticals. Once the wobbly computer table is replaced with youngest daughter's gorgeous black desk, and I spruce up the rest of the furniture that has to stay I think the room will be more in keeping with my new sensibilities. I also know it is going to lead to more trouble as I will want to do the same to the kitchen and half bath. They're all connected you know! Time on my hands...a bad thing! I've told the husband I am going to ask our contractor about putting hardwood flooring in the nook...and I may ask about going right thru the kitchen as well. We'll see!
After all the manual labor (including laundry) I pulled out a very old project! I had been working diligently on Vintage Valentine for some time years ago. Too many years ago to fess up to. It was supposed to be a wedding gift for son and DIL. Once I got side tracked, I felt that it was never going to happen, so I decided to just "forget" I had it. For some reason yesterday I decided I wanted to finish it after all-- and finish it for their anniversary in October. There is going to be a lot of frantic needle turn going on if I am to stick to that commitment. Good thing they don't know this was even in the works! I had considered just scrapping the entire idea as I'd like to make them individual quilts anyway, but being the good momma I try to be, I'd like to accomplish it all. Delusions of grandeur, me thinks!!
And with that...it is time to begin another week. I am a free bird today and need to grocery shop. And thus it begins...I hear a ladder, guess I should sneak into the shower before there is a face in that window!

Still here....

I didn't forget that I promised photos of the wonderful Quilt Show from last weekend...I just don't have access to the photos as my iMac is sitting disconnected and completely unusable as we get work done at the house. My hope is that the taping and mudding of the new ceiling in the room where Mac resides will get done today. I'm not holding my breath (the work is moving right along so I won't rush things), but I'd sure like to be able to share what I've been working on. I've also realized that I never posted photo(s) of the "new and improved" quilting room! Soon. I will get it all up soon. OK, lets hope so .
Wishing you all a happy weekend- perhaps with some stitching??

Here We Go Again!

Blogging comes once a month it seems, but it isn't as if I have nothing to show...
it is just hard to find time to sit and share with all that I have going on. Now don't go feeling sorry for me. It is a "problem" of my own making. Work, family, gardens, sewing...yup all still need attention.
With the multiple projects in various stages of completion already strewn around the sewing room, why do I let myself get crazed and start anew when I know I shouldn't?? We all do it, don't we (don't we??)?
Oh well, can't help myself, here I go again....look at this mess-



why do I "just have to" choose projects requiring tons of cutting, sewing, pressing, and trimming of half-square triangles? Thus the mess above. It's a little mess- the bigger one is already swept into the trash basket. But those little cut, sewn, pressed and trimmed half-square triangles look so cute.



and after I add all of this



I end up with 4 of each of these.
(It's a good thing- I need 127 blocks!)



Just couldn't help myself. I fell in love with this quilt from a brand new book Winning Fat Quarter Quilts. At least I think that is the name...will have to recheck to make sure I have my facts right!



I knew I had more than enough fat quarters to make every quilt in the book (probably could go straight to king size- nothing small here, but I decided on full/queen). I started pulling these



It was easy to get 32 light/dark combos. I have plenty in the drawers of that triple dresser that I joke about. Wow. I could free up space in the drawers. No, don't ask why I would need to do that...and no, I haven't been to a quilt shop (except to work). But VQF is looming! No, no...no spending! I have more than my fair share (hahahah-insert your favorite evil laughter...)
Cutting is fast, easy and you don't waste any fabric (it is done in pairs). I now have a small canvas basket filling with scraps for a future project (oh help me!! It is a sickness.). Do I get time off for good behavior? Oh, actually, I did! and what did I do...I went to a quilt show. Lots of ideas there....yes, I need help. Lots of it. Desperately seeking help. Photos from the show will be forthcoming...if I can stop making those half-square triangles!!

Talented Friends

It is always nice to have friends you love to quilt with, but when one is extremely talented, it is always a pleasure to see what she has come up with "now"! No pattern is left untouched by her own spin on things- to a beautiful ending. But now she is designing...and this first attempt is amazing! You can see "Jack's Wild Ride" here as she got up the nerve to enter it into the Quilting Design Star contest being held by McCall's Quilting Magazine. Go take a look!! Better yet, vote for Jack.

Stopping to think....

this video made me stop and think. It made me really think. I loved this thought: "exercise the goodness instilled in us". I find it profound. I find I am not always nice. I wasn't nice when I saw said video was produced by Mormon Productions. Why? No good reason. I just have these preconceived notions. Interesting isn't it that our preconceived notions can make us act less good. Less civil. Be it a homeless man in Central Park, or an entire faith community- why should we think out of ignorance?

I think I want to start exercising the goodness instilled within me more. I think it could make me an even happier person in that I would be less judgemental. I try not to be, but it just happens. I'll try harder.

That's all.....